This past week I was sent some Two Fat Guys Gourmet BBQ Sauce to taste test. The company founders, Kent and Bob, are childhood friends from Illinois who got their start in the food business running a catering company and have recently created a line of all natural, gluten-free BBQ sauces. I’m always compelled by small batch production, all-natural products. These BBQ sauces are really terrific and lend themselves to a number of different uses. We started with the Mild Gourmet BBQ Sauce and tossed it on some chicken. The recipe we came up with was a HUGE crowd pleaser. It would be perfect for a Superbowl Party, or Monday Night Football with the kids, or even a casual Birthday Party. I’m going to post a number of additional recipes in the coming weeks – and coming soon is a BBQ Sauce give-away. Check back for that!

2 cups sweet white corn (we don’t have any fresh corn in the store right now so I used defrosted “roasted” white corn from TJ’s)

3 cups diced fresh tomatoes (I prefer cherry or grape tomatoes)

1 cup fresh cilantro leaves

1 ½ cups finely diced green onion

1 ½ cups finely diced jicama

3 ripe avocadoes, diced

1 ½ cups grated Mexican Cheese

2 bags mixed greens

1 ½ cups crumbled tortilla chips

1 cup ranch dressing

Two Fat Guys BBQ Sauce

Toss the raw chicken thighs with half of the BBQ sauce, cover and marinate for at least 3 hours, or overnight.

Take all of the salad ingredients and place them in individual small serving dishes. You will have ¾ cup of BBQ sauce leftover at the end of the cooking process. Place it in a serving dish next to the ranch dressing.

Heat your BBQ grill on medium-high heat. Spray your grill with vegetable spray. Lower the grill temperature to medium and cook your chicken thighs, turning them once or twice, until they are just cooked through. Depending on how cold they are when you put them on the grill this should take about 12 minutes in total cooking time. Remove the chicken from the grill. Place on a cutting board and cut into cubes. Place the cubed chicken in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Toss with ¼ cup of the BBQ sauce. Place in a serving dish.

Allow your guests to serve the mixed greens plus all of the toppings. Drizzle a small amount of ranch dressing and a small amount of additional BBQ sauce over each salad. Enjoy.

This blog is dedicated to my parents who taught me that the family meal is a place for reflection, sharing of stories, and for connection. In our family it is a place of safety and certainty and quite frequently of hilarity. The food served by my parents is always made with care, creativity and generosity of spirit. I share their passion for cooking and their belief that the family meal is a critical anchor for all of us.

So, to both of my parents who celebrate life's ups and downs by laughing and lingering in the kitchen, this blog is for you.